Vampire Daddy
by Dreamstallion33
Summary: Edward's angst when Bella discovers she's pregnant, follows through Renesmee's birth, Edward's acceptance. R&R "I had to stop this...If it was kids she wanted she could have them. As many as she wanted. Just not this child. The worst one. Mine."
1. Or Death and All His Friends

**Author's Note:** This started out as sort of an experiment. However, the writing process was more fun that I ever expected. Edward is so complex and he over thinks _everything_ in a state of crisis. So, after reading Breaking Dawn I began imagining what Edward was thinking during this moment in his state of complete frozenness. If you like it, please review, I really appreciate it!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything Twilight...And I owe ColdPlay for having such perfect album titles! Also, at the end of each chapter I include the lyrics of one of the songs on the selected album!

ENJOY!

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**Vampire Daddy**

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**Part One: Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends**

I watched Bella's receding back; hunched slightly and quivering, apprehensively. I absentmindedly turned on the sink taps; first cold water to wash away the sick then hot for preliminary disinfecting.

Bella's sudden illness had me deeply concerned. What could have brought this on? She'd hardly eaten anything but eggs; lately…I tried to recall the taste of eggs. Surely I would have been able to smell if they were rancid? It doesn't really make sense…I tapped the counter idly. Two graduate degrees in medicine began to shove their knowledge on me. But I couldn't think. Why hadn't Bella come back yet? Had she gotten sick again? Had it really been long enough to warrant my lithe lung toward the bathroom door?

I could hear Bella murmuring rhythmically behind the door. She was…counting? The rhythm restarted, yes definitely counting, fervently. Why? I composed myself and tapped the door, lightly. If I knocked any harder sawdust would probably fall, from what might be considered a sturdy door against anything but me. It was a nice door, but I wouldn't hesitate to destroy it if Bella needed me. It certainly wouldn't be as much fun as breaking the headboard, though.

Seconds passed and I heard the distinct sound of a box falling into the suitcase. Bella gave a quiet, but sharp intake of breath. I spoke attentively, "Are you well?" I heard Bella try to steady her breathing. "Did you get sick again?"

It seemed to take her forever to reach an answer, though it was probably less than a few seconds. Her voice sounded smothered, "Yes and no."

In times like these I wished deep breaths were calming. There was no way to escape the worry that bled through my tone, "Bella? Can I please come in?" If she said no I would probably break the door down.

Why would she say no, anyway? At this point what was so bad that I couldn't see? That I had not yet seen? Well…If she had gotten her period that would surely dampen our…fun. But she knew I could handle the smell of her blood, now and I'd never seen her sick during that time.

I was getting impatient, though it was ridiculous since even I hardly had time to take a breath, anticipating her answer.

Bella's response was cautious, "O…Kay?"

I quickly wiped the smug look off my face. She must have realized that I probably would have come in regardless—if her excuse for keeping me out was weak.

It took more effort than usual to delicately seize the knob and open the door. If I had thrown the door open, like any normal concerned husband, I could have easily ended up walking into the bathroom holding the door, clean off its hinges. And more importantly, something told me that Bella wouldn't exactly find that amusing, at this present moment.

I had known something wasn't right. It was clear now that something was really _wrong_. Bella was sitting cross-legged, on the floor by the suitcase. This wouldn't have bothered me if her eyes didn't look so glazed over and unfocused. Her mouth was set in a firm line, though it appeared to be intent on eventually voicing the shocking revelation that was behind all this.

Without any effort, I was on the floor beside her, my hand immediately on her forehead. The sound of her heart was loud in my finely-tuned ears; drumming its hypnotizing beat. But it didn't sound irregular, just exceptionally loud. Her head felt slightly clammy, but even that cooled almost instantly against my icy touch. "What's wrong?"

Some wishful part of my mind half-hoped she would jump up, look at my concern, laugh and then declare herself cured. Then we could pick up where we left off. But she didn't even look at me. Her whisper was cold and deadly, "How many days has it been since the wedding?"

Her tone let on that I should be deeply unsettled. Honestly, I had expected to be. However, I could not find a reason to be so—since our seventeen days as husband and wife had been nothing but the opposite.

I managed to keep the frustration out of my voice, "Seventeen." Her look didn't change one iota. She was hardly even blinking. Hearing people's thoughts for a century has spoiled me. Bella wasn't even attempting to explain herself and it was driving me mad! Again I barely managed to keep the frustration at bay. "Bella, what is it?"

Remaining completely indifferent Bella began counting again. Seriously? The slew of expletives that rushed through my thoughts was hardly comforting. When we got home I was going to compose a piece on counting. Bella and everyone else would probably think it was beautiful which would totally defeat its purpose; which was annoyance; irritating, grating, mind bogglingly annoyance. I wanted to shred something.

It doesn't make sense to be so easily impatient; especially in an existence where you have all the damned time in the entire damned world! But I have always been irrevocably impatient. Maybe if Bella wasn't the only person in this world whose thoughts eluded me I would be less so. But her thoughts—especially now, as she held up a finger admonishing me to wait—were the one thoughts I wanted to hear the most. She started over again…_counting_. _What was she counting?_

I stared at her finger, concentrating on its individual lines and curves. The skin on her finger was soft. It was pale, yet I could almost feel the moderate heat generating from the digit. I wished she'd stop the nonsense, maybe abandon all pretenses and touch me with that single warm finger. And then her whole hand. And then maybe she'd move closer and I could bend my head to her lips…

We didn't have to have sex. If she still didn't feel well we could just go back to the couch. I would hold her until she fell asleep in my arms. Maybe she would talk in her sleep again. It hadn't been _that_ long since she'd stopped, but I missed it. It was the closest I ever got to being able to read her thoughts. This was getting absurd.

I gazed intently at her soft, supple skin. I could smell the sweet blood pulsing through it; sitting languidly in her capillaries. Venom flooded my mouth. I could feel my eyes harden. _Bite her._

I didn't want to bite her finger because I wanted her blood. I wanted to bite it because I was being deprived of some crucial piece of information. Wait. I wanted to bite her, _now?_ What was wrong with me? She wanted to go to Dartmouth; she wanted to prolong her possibly short-lived human life. She wanted to prolong it so she could enjoy whatever pleasure she got from having sex with me _as a human_. And I was ready to take that all away from her this minute? _I _was ready, after trying to stall for so long? I would rather Bella _never_ became a vampire. But that argument was long past. It was just a matter of time, and I had just decided that time was _now?_ _HELL NO! _

"Bella!" my whisper was urgent and critical. I had just considered biting her because she was being elusive. If she didn't give me answers I was just going to be persistent. She deserved that much. However, I was not going to let the thought of biting her—at this time—cross my mind again. "I'm losing my mind over here."

She respectfully managed to regain brain function, though I noticed she didn't try to speak. Instead she held up a little blue box…_tampons?_

"What? Are you trying to pass this illness off as PMS?" I don't think the exasperation in my voice was as apparent as I hoped. I hid my smirk, thinking how Jasper would get a kick out of this. He loved _treating_ PMS; though he's not able to do it often since our diet is difficult for him at times. It definitely made some of the more mundane days of high school more interesting…

"No," Bella coughed out. "No. Edward. I'm trying to tell you that my period is five days late."

My mind raced. Another string of expletives made their way through my thoughts. _WHAT?!_

"I don't think I have food poisoning," Bella said trying to regain my attention.

_Was this some kind of sick joke?_ Why would she tell me this? Why was I quickly getting over my former annoyance and irritation _and why was it being replaced by utter hysteria?!_

She began to mumble. I wanted it to sound incoherent, but my ears caught every word. "The dreams…sleeping so much…the crying…all that food. Oh. Oh. _Oh._"

No. No. _No._ I wanted to shake my head and shout. But I didn't. I wasn't going to move. If I moved something was going to be broken—I quickly scanned the bathroom, deciding the toilet and the sink would probably go first. The bathtub would prove slightly more difficult, but at least it would give me something to concentrate on. It would give me time. Not that time mattered. _I _was dead already. If I _had_ a pulse, it would have stopped.

I knew it wasn't a dream. A hundred and eight years without dreams definitely centers one in an eternal reality. A reality I was a sure that had just crashed and burned. _Maybe it was a nightmare…_Maybe Bella and I _had_ gotten killed by the Volturi when I had thought she was dead, what was it a year ago? Two? I couldn't remember…But Bella was in this death nightmare…_So this was heaven?_ Did this mean I had a soul? Or was it purgatory? Seemed pretty hellish to me.

The bathroom suddenly seemed like an abyss of despair. What a strange place for hell to be located. In the bathroom of the house on Isle Esme. Someone should warn Carlisle. I just stared, letting the despair engulf me. No sense fighting it. It was over. It had ended a long time ago. _Ha_. It had begun—and ended—in biology. _Ha. Ha. _It had begun—and ended—at anaphase…

That's when Bella did the unthinkable. She touched her stomach. "Oh!" she squeaked, _enthusiastically_. I grimaced inwardly. She stood up faster than usual, moving out of my grasp. Had I still been holding her? I hadn't even noticed. I was momentarily impressed with myself for not hurting her, accidentally. I think I was trying to anchor myself. Well the anchor had moved to the mirror and was peering down her blue silk shorts. And I was going to float away. _I give up_.

I probably should have closed my eyes. Vampires didn't need to blink so why would I think of doing that? _Now I did_. But it was too late. I was frozen in place. Determined never to move again. Time would pass me by in this insignificant bathroom. _Time hated me._ I had escaped it. So now it had moved it's vendetta with me onto Bella. _Excellent_. First me, then a truck, then a tracker, then werewolves, then the Volturi, and then another psychotic vampire. _We were so close too_.

"Impossible," Bella whispered. I watched with horror as she twisted her torso back and forth. Venom rushed into my mouth as her fingers touched what I knew to be a distinctive difference. I was disgusted…_with myself…as usual_.

"Impossible," she whispered again.

I was too busy insulting myself. Nothing seemed good enough; though _you filthy monster_ got close, but I'd been called that aloud so it didn't really tear at my insides like I was hoping. There was no way around it. Bella was _pregnant_. _I _had gotten her pregnant. Oh! _Incubus_. That had the effect I wanted. It was a nasty, dirty word. And I had done a nasty dirty thing.

Plus I was seventeen and much too young to be a father. Wait…No, yeah I was seventeen…_in 1918_. Well a hundred and eight was much too young to be a father too. I'd taken psychology courses. And after all I may be immortal but I'm still a _man_. So with that logic, even if I am a hundred and eight you could definitely say that my emotional age is seventeen. And when you add in the fact of being male. Well then in reality I'm like six. That's much too young to be a father.

While I tried to convince myself that this made sense, a sort of morbid fascination crept into my mind. I repressed it, focusing my thoughts on Bella. _So maybe I was old enough to be a father. _If I had lived, if I wasn't frozen at seventeen, I probably_ would _be a father, a grandfather, even a great-grand father._ Who knew I could father children?! _And then the sick repressed thought burst through the jail my mind had created for it. _Wonderful_.

It was a good thing I was determined to stay so completely still, because suddenly, inexplicably I wanted to shout! To cheer! _I wanted to call Jacob and throw this in his face!_ I was triumphant! I really was able to give Bella everything she wanted! Everything I thought I was depriving her of! _Did she ever mention wanting kids?_ All she had ever mentioned was how she wanted to be a vampire. Wanting to be stuck at eighteen forever.

Now she was pregnant. _At eighteen_. And the despair seeped in again and I returned to a state of semi-normalness. No matter what, Bella was eighteen. We were young to get married…well she was. But to be pregnant at eighteen? Well for 1900 standards that was normal…But we weren't living in the 1900s…How fast did vampire children grow? _Why was I even asking myself this?_

My phone rang. I didn't care. I was too busy contemplating what I had done…_again_. I'd inadvertently murdered Bella and created a living nightmare. If there was a word for something worse than a monster I wanted to know that word now, because I was one…whatever it was.

I wondered if I starved myself, would it kill me more than I would end up killing innocent people. My phone kept ringing. If I ever unfroze, I was going to crush it.

A warm hand reached into my pocket, hopefully to silence the summoning. How could Bella stand being so close to me after what I'd done to her?!

She answered the phone…Alice must have called…But Bella wanted to speak to Carlisle…I didn't want to hear the conversation. It would be like reliving everything all over again.

I wished I had the mechanisms to vomit. Nausea was a foreign feeling, yet it successfully managed to embed itself in the pit of my mostly useless stomach. _It felt delightful_. The nausea harmonized so perfectly with the despair. If I wasn't wallowing in being a monster I might have regarded myself as feeling almost _human_. I mean I felt like every organ that was in that part of my body was going to make a group effort to heave their way up my esophagus at the same time. I could only hope this would be what killed me. And then Bella's voice caught my attention.

"…and…I swear something _moved_ inside me just now."

I looked up. _Why did she have to say that? _Bella sighed with relief, and involuntarily I glanced at the small but pronounced bulge that extended her silk pajamas. A small, _very sick_, part of my mind was inexplicably thrilled. I wanted to hug Bella; to touch the hard bulge protruding from her abdomen. To relish in a sort of _sick_ joy. We would be a family. I would have a family…_Of my own_. This vision festered, quickly. This very sick part of my mind _wanted_ to be a father. _I _wanted this. My thoughts were suddenly dark. A tiny voice in the distance called out for me, _"Daddy!" _If it was possible for a vampire to cry…well I was. I couldn't let this be! There was no way this child would be normal. No way would this child be _safe_.

_I hated myself. _Well maybe I could convince Carlisle to help me…or hate me…both would be fine. I silently held out my hand for the phone. _Maybe he'd yell at me! _Or maybe he would just be incredibly disappointed in me. _Oh I loved the idea of disappointment. No one could do disappointment better than Carlisle. _

I felt my voice catch as I whispered into the phone, "Is it possible?" I already knew the answer. I just didn't want it to be true. And as far as anything was concerned at this moment, it wasn't true until Carlisle declared it so.

His voice was even. He wasn't going to yell at me. Or be disappointed in me. _Damn_.

"Yes...I don't know why I didn't consider it a possibility before you two...Well I need to do some research." His tone changed, suddenly. _Maybe I would get yelled at! _There was a stern, serious, earnestness about his voice now, "Edward! You did nothing wrong…but there is potential danger, from this…um…child."

_Oh, _so he was going to _console_ me. Carlisle's attempt to rid me of my shame was worse than I'd thought. If anything his easy sense of calm and compassion only intensified how culpable I was. Was this part of my punishment too? I didn't _deserve _to continue to exist. Not only did my father-figure openly oppose the Volturi's way of life, now he was going to break the law too! Carlisle was going to _allow_ me to continue to exist…After what I'd done? Truly, nothing made sense anymore.

I knew the worst was coming. Since there were no longer any other options I wasn't going to sit and wallow in my despair anymore. I also wasn't going to have Bella more than several inches from me. I pulled her close, afraid to ask Carlisle my next question. "And Bella?"

"We'll take care of everything as soon as you get home. But Edward, you need to get home _immediately_. I'm not exactly sure how much time we have, but if Bella is already feeling the…um…child _move, _well there's really no time to waste. I'll see you soon! Get on a flight, Edward."

I held my breath. Carlisle must have sensed I needed more direction that usual. But he was going to take care of this. We weren't going to let this _thing_ kill Bella and then ravage Forks. It would go away. Everything would go back to normal. No more problems. _The End. _I was able to answer Carlisle less stiffly but still cold, "Yes. Yes, I will."

I immediately hung up with Carlisle and dialed the airport. Bella was staring at me expectantly. She seemed a bit frustrated and sad she had to ask, "What did Carlisle say?"

"He thinks you're pregnant," I finished the statement in my head with, _not for long_.

Maybe I could be more than the horror film monster I considered myself to be. Maybe I was the hero. I would save the day and Bella. I could only hope she would let me. Naturally, she already seemed rather, _attached_. This was our child. Partially _me_. She would want this. I could tell she hoped I wanted this too. This was a chance Bella wasn't going to pass up. A chance that had killed Esme. A chance that Rosalie had lost. They would live vicariously through Bella. _Was there anyone really on my side? _Could I make Emmett see the justice in killing me? Jasper, maybe? Alice..._might_. Alice loved Bella too. She was the best chance I had…But she probably already _saw_ me asking her to kill me. She would talk to Carlisle. I was doomed…

I waited edgily for someone to answer the phone. How many rings had there been already? _One_. The situation was getting direr the more I thought about it. _This was my fault_.

Bella would just have to move aside as the heroine for a moment. _My heroine, ha! _No! I wouldn't let her suck me into her romanticized ideas about _our_ family. Ideas that hadn't come into her head until she'd felt something move _inside her_.

_I had to stop this_. This was one thing I could not compromise on. If it was kids she wanted she could have them. As many as she wanted. Just not this child. The worst one. _Mine._ She could have kids or become a vampire or both. Whatever she wanted! Whenever she wanted!

The tiny voice—that remained from that sick sense of wanting _this_—tried to call me again, plead with me. At that exact moment an authentic Portuguese voice picked up on the other end. _That did it_! Before Bella I had _almost_ accepted the fact that love was not a luxury I would get in this life. I had, however, accepted the fact that I would never be a father. Even if by some miracle this worked out the way Bella wanted—she had the baby and lived—the one thing I could never accept was a _monster_ calling me _daddy_!

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_** If you love me  
Won't you let me know?**_


	2. X&Y

**Author's Note: **Sorry this took so long! This was a little bit more difficult to write because Edward's feelings were so transformed. I also had to incorporate the surroundings more. In case anyone was wondering from what I've gathered Edward's mind is a very busy place. He's always thinking and on top of that he's always hearing what everyone else is thinking. But I think I balanced things well enough! Reviews are loved...

Special thanks to to everyone who reviewed, and added the story or me to their alert list and/or favorites list. Thank you all so much!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything Twilight...And I owe ColdPlay for having such perfect album titles! Also, at the end of each chapter I include the lyrics of one of the songs on the selected album!

ENJOY!!

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**Vampire Daddy**

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**Part Two: X&Y**

For the first time in my century of existence hunger superseded my thirst. I was hungry for life…for my life…_to end_…

Jacob was tormenting Rosalie. I absolutely despised them both. At least Jacob had agreed to kill me…that was an odd comfort. And he _had_ saved Bella from starving. Still he was _Jacob_ and the hostility he emanated wasn't helping me keep control of my own. Rosalie was another issue entirely. She had ruined _everything_. I had never seen Rosalie so smug, which only leads me to believe that she will stop at nothing to achieve _her_ greatest desire. But at what expense? Mine? Bella's? _She doesn't care about Bella!_ I was so furious with her; I hardly had room to hate myself much anymore.

"You want me to take off?" Jacob offered. He sounded _almost_ hopeful.

I didn't really care if Jacob was here or not. He was successfully annoying Rosalie to no end. _That was nice_. It didn't compare to the things I wanted to do to Rosalie. If only Emmett wasn't so _fond of her_…

Bella was looking at Jacob with complete shock, "No! Of course not."

_Ugh_. Bella really needed to rein in her feelings for Jacob. He was almost as irritated by them as I was. I heard Jacob sigh too. His thoughts were quickly directed at me. I wanted to yell at him. To really make him understand how much _I _disliked _this_ fetus. To make him understand how much I disliked myself…

I had come to him at the start of this asking for his help! He had failed...Well that was unfair….He _had _tried. For my benefit. I _think _we were truly allies in this. But he is only able to _see_ how hard this is. He frequently refers to my facial expression as '_the burning man'_. He has no idea what it _feels _like. He just blindly, constantly accuses me of humoring Bella. I _want_ to keep Bella happy…But I also want to keep her alive. And for some reason—with Bella—those two things _don't _go hand in hand.

It would be easier to _feel_ a little more _human_…to get through this…it'd be nice to have a migraine…I missed migraines…

"You look tired," Bella commented.

"Dead beat," Jacob admitted.

Exhaustion. I haven't slept in a hundred and eight years...Could I _finally _be exhausted? Jacob's _thoughts_ were exhausting me.

I suppose Jacob wanted to blame someone—and since Bella was somehow always free of blame simply because she was Bella and that explained enough for both of us—I was the easy target. _It was my fault_. I only wished Jacob would see the situation more clearly. Maybe remove his cynicism…well for Jacob that would be a very invasive surgery. At least half his brain would need to be removed…I chuckled inwardly, my expression remaining completely austere.

Jacob didn't know Rosalie's story…He didn't know women. He _was _sixteen…possibly forever…Truly a _puppy_. He didn't understand what babies meant to women…He would never understand why Rosalie was determined for Bella to have _this _fetus. Jacob didn't understand…It isn't just a matter of making Bella unhappy. It's a matter of _destroying_ Bella in the process of saving her. Again I could thank Rosalie for doing a very thorough job with telling Bella her life story. I didn't need to read Bella's mind to know that if we took this _thing_ away from her, she wouldn't even care about becoming a vampire anymore. Everything would lose its meaning. But _because _of this thing, I was almost inevitably going to lose Bella. And then where was _my _meaning?

Rosalie mumbled a taunt at Jacob. I was tired of all of this. Tired and hungry. Soon after Rosalie left the room to get Bella more blood. Jacob settled down for a nap. I envied him the ability to nap. Though I would rather simply close my eyes and never be…And if Jacob was going to blame me for _this_-as if I'm not blaming _myself_ enough. Then my increased cynicism is _his_ fault. Sometimes I wish I couldn't hear thou—

"_I love you."_

What? I could have sworn everyone was just sitting idly; peacefully not speaking—or in Jacob's case not thinking—for once. That wasn't Bella's voice, yet it could only have been Bella who said it. Unless Jacob was coming into some more endearing feelings toward me—though I'm not sure I liked the idea of that much. No. It had to have been Bella. It was too near and too small and soft.

Jacob snapped out of his near stupor as I asked Bella perplexedly, "Did you say something?"

My hearing was in question in Jacob's thoughts and I couldn't help wonder if I had imagined it myself. It had been so slight.

Bella stared at me with utter bewilderment, "Me?" she looked a little perturbed. "I didn't say anything."

"_Home…warm and happy…"_

My mind went blank. I wanted to shout some sort of exclamation, but none existed to describe this. Part of me knew I was being silly. These were thoughts I was hearing. _New thoughts_. Why would I suddenly start hearing Bella now? And were her thoughts really so…simplistic? Still in awe of the possibility I simply moved onto my knees and leaned forward over Bella, focusing on her face.

"What are you thinking about right now?"

"Nothing. What's going on?" Bella regarded me vacantly.

"What were you just thinking about a minute ago?" My enthusiasm was getting the better of me. All things aside if I was hearing Bella…well…this was _great_! _I was happy_. Wow! I hadn't been happy since…

"Just…Esme's island. And feathers."

Oh. My disappoint only had a moment to make me slightly bitter…

"_I like that noise!"_

And then there it was again. A tiny voice. It was there, fresh and…and…_young_. As least I wasn't crazy! "Say something else," I whispered to Bella. Realization hit me harder than Emmett during a baseball game.

Bella looked worried now, "Like what? Edward, what's going on?"

Okay maybe I was crazy, but I was definitely hearing a voice and it was definitely coming from…_inside Bella_. And with that I abandoned all pretenses and very lightly placed both, cool, hands against Bella's protruding stomach.

There is no way to describe the sensation of holding Bella like that. The way many doting husbands touch their pregnant wives. But I hadn't been previously doting throughout this ordeal and I wasn't concentrating on the touch. It was the information I was receiving from that touch.

"The f—" I quickly rearranged my vocabulary for our…well our _baby_. "It…the baby likes the sound of your voice."

It felt like the room was going to implode from the force of the silence. I thought I might _really_ go into shock this time. Never did I expect to hear the…baby. That was going to take some getting used to. It wasn't a monster fetus anymore…How could it be so bad if it could think? If it could _love_? _Crap_. I was the rational one…I was the one who _had _to get Bella through this alive…_Crap. Crap. Crap! _How could I do that if I started to _like_ the fetus? No the baby…_My_ baby...

"_Holy crow, you can hear him!_" Bella cried.

"_Why does she scream? What's going to happen?!"_

Then she grimaced. Quickly I gently rubbed the peak of her belly where the baby had kicked her.

"Shh, you startled it…him." It was then that I couldn't help but wonder if it _was_ boy. Bella seemed determined to think so. But was it really? Was _my_ little boy in there? Or dare I wonder if it was my little girl? _My little vampire_. That disgusted me. That brought back some reality...some rationality…It didn't really matter what _it _was…

"Sorry, baby," Bella apologized, affectionately.

I titled my head to hear the baby better. I couldn't help myself. I was addicted to Bella. I suppose she would always have me captivated. Every part of her. Even the part a moment before I had been sure I could never love. The part that had me asking for death when I had finally found happiness. How swiftly things changed. It was like that first biology class when I had considered giving up _everything_ to taste Bella's blood.

Bella could hardly contain herself, "What's he thinking now?"

"_I love my home…"_

"It…he or she, is…" I looked at Bella. I saw her large brown orbs filled with anticipation. I was attempting to manage a contained sort of awe. We still had to be careful. This wasn't over unless Bella came out of it alive…and there was still the possibility that she wouldn't—I could _kill _Jacob for making me think so cynically at this time. _I needed Bella to come out of this alive! _However I was still incredulous when I finally answered, "He's _happy_."

Bella began to cry. I found it hard to believe it had taken this long. And admittedly…_I was happy too_. For us…This was like hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time. _Could the baby have a heartbeat?_ For me…This voice _was_ the baby's heartbeat. It meant there was a chance…This could end well…I could hope…

"Of course you're happy, pretty baby, of course you are," Bella cooed as she rubbed her stomach and tears continued to cascade placidly down her cheeks. "How could you not be, all safe and warm and loved? I love you so much, little EJ, of course you're happy."

_EJ?_ She'd named it EJ? Why? "What did you call him?" I asked curiously. If I kept this up I don't know how I would be able to return to my former ascetic manner…It would seem Jacob's '_burning man_' had just died…I was really getting myself in deep.

Ironically I suppose I had gotten my wish for my life to end…The part of me…The part I was so incessantly and justifiably tortured by had ceased to exist. I was now encapsulated in the very emotions and thoughts I had been trying to keep at bay from the moment Bella knew she was pregnant. _And I was happy about it this time! _Though I wasn't sure I could get used to the name EJ…

Bella blushed. "I sort of named him. I didn't think you would want…well, you know."

She was right. I probably would have let her name it even if I had been thrilled about the whole pregnancy in the first place. But…"EJ?"

Bella was quick to defend this idea. "You father's name was Edward, too."

_Oh_. Well in that case…"Yes, it was. What—"

"_Edward! Hehe! That's what Bella calls him. I like the noise he makes too."_

"Hmm," I thought as I listened.

"What?" Bella pestered.

"He likes my voice, too."

It was in that moment that I truly acknowledged that I was going to be a father. I acknowledged and accepted it. Bella openly wanted a boy and I suppose that made her happy because she wanted to make me happy…baby boys _always _made for proud fathers…

It was in that moment that I knew that I now no longer just had to preserve Bella's life. I had to save her _and_ the baby. There was no way around it and no way one would be more important than the other in even the direst of situations. As Bella and Rosalie discussed the alternative name if the baby was not in fact an EJ, I thought how I would rather have a daughter…

If this was real…If this baby really wasn't dangerous…I wanted a daughter…With Bella's beautiful brown eyes…

"What?" Bella asked, here eyes bright with fresh tears, her face glowing. "What's he thinking now?"

_"I really don't want to hurt Mommy! I love her sooo much!"_

As I pressed my ear to Bella's stomach, three distinct gasps met my ears; Jacob sounded dismayed. Bella was thrilled to see me touching her and the baby with tender intentions. Rosalie sounded awed and Jealous.

"He loves you," I whispered, completely mesmerized. "He absolutely _adores_ you."

Jacob...was angry and scared. I never could do right by Bella in Jacob's eyes. I was always failing someone these days. Though I couldn't help but think, better to fail Jacob than Bella...But in this situation I was really right to fall in love with my child? Bella would survive, that was a guarantee, but could we really keep _this_ child? Wasn't my child supposed to be lethal not capable of love? And yet...he—it was so innocent. It wasn't hurting Bella because it _could_. The baby was too strong, it couldn't help itself. And it loved us. However, now that I had faith in my child, Jacob felt abandoned by me... I couldn't save him from himself, but I would not let him do something he would regret.

I didn't hesitate as I threw him the keys to the Aston Martin Vanquish; even at a time like this I knew he would appreciate the car. It wasn't even half of the solace he needed but it was the least I could do to protect my family...to help _my friend_...

The light feeling in the household were quickly replaced by blunt, harsh words. I promised myself I would not be mad if there was so much as a scratch on my car when Jacob returned; I had more concerning matters to contend with. At least all the crying had stopped and Bella was blissfully sleeping off most of the horrors of the afternoon. As I spoke to Jacob about Leah's tirade it was clear he was not over the fact that I had finally accepted my child, that I hoped we would all make it through this..._alive_...Or something close to living.

"I'm sorry for the pain this causes you, Jacob. Though you hate me, I must admit that I don't feel the same about you. I think of you as a...a brother in many ways. A comrade in arms, at the very least. I regret your suffering more than you realize. But Bella _is_ going to survive and I know that's what really matters to you."

The growl in my chest, and the fierceness in my tone subsided as I prepared for possibly the hardest ordeal of all. Part of me still wanted to resist. I was never one to ask for help, I always gave the help. And I had already asked for so much of Jacob..._Too much_. But this was for Bella. _For my family_.

"So I hate to do this now, while you're already dealing with too much, but, clearly, there is little time. I have to ask you for something—to beg, if I must."

"I don't have anything left," Jacob said, defeated.

I wanted to touch him. To put my hand on his shoulder. I needed the support more than he realized. If he refused my request, we would all surely die. And then all of our efforts would be in vain. I would lose Bella; the family I had just come to _love_. _Everything_. Jacob had the power to save us, which is exactly what I explained to him.

His stoic expression, was worrisome. He had this one thing left to keep from me. He had one last opportunity to keep Bella from me...From both of us. But I swallowed whatever pride I seemed to have left. _I had to ask_.

"I want your permission to deviate from what we agreed to in our treaty with Ephriam. I want you to grant us an exception. I want your permission to save her life. You know I'll do it anyway, but I don't want to break faith with you if there is any way to avoid it. We never intended to go back on our word, and we don't do it lightly now. I want your understanding, Jacob, because you know exactly why we do this. I want the alliance between our families to survive when this is over."

It shocked me that Jacob went into a sort of denial. He did not acknowledge this authority as his. I gave him time to mull the decision over. Admittedly I was afraid. If he said no, I would lose Jacob as a friend and I could surely lose so much more...Thankfully it did not take him too long. The word _fine_, was music to my ears. I could compose whole piano pieces over that word! I would owe Jacob until the end of eternity for this! No amount of valuable cars and gifts would ever compensate for the gift he was giving me..._my family_...I owed him for the entirety of my existence.

"Thank you." I whispered, thinking how inapt those two words were.

An idea struck me then, and I made a mental note to bottle my venom that night. There would be no mistakes. Bella's heart would continue to beat. I was most satisfied with the thought that truly…I _could _hope...for us—_my_ family, _my blood_—might really have a _future_. We could all be _happy_. I was relieved…and no longer hungry—albeit _very thirsty_.

It didn't matter…I am not a monster…And surely as much as I loved Bella I knew _a monster_ would never call me daddy.

A baby, however, would…_Soon_…

* * *

**_All that noise, and all that sound,  
All those places I got found.  
And birds go flying at the speed of sound,  
to show you how it all began.  
Birds came flying from the underground,  
if you could see it then you'd understand?_**


	3. A Rush of Blood to the Head

**Author's Note: **I know it hasn't been long since I posted the previous chapter, but with school starting I wasn't sure how much opportunities I'd have to write and this chapter has been nagging me for a while. I just quickly would like to address a couple of things. First, I'd like to thank everyone for their continued support, really it means a lot. Second, I think it is important to mention how deeply saddened I am for Stephenie Meyer in regards to the illegal release of Midnight Sun. With that said, after Ms. Meyer posted the first twelve chapters on her site, I read it. Now, despite how terrible I feel about the whole situation, Midnight Sun would have been a really good book, I am happy to know that my understanding of Edward's character is so exact. And lastly, I cannot begin to describe how well the ColdPlay album title fits for this chapter.

And as always reviews are highly appreciated!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything Twilight...And I owe ColdPlay for having such perfect album titles! Also, at the end of each chapter I include the lyrics of one of the songs on the selected album!

ENJOY!!

* * *

**Vampire Daddy**

* * *

**Part Three: A Rush of Blood to the Head**

"One more day," Bella said, patting her stomach.

I could _hear_ the pain in Jacob's thoughts. I tried to envision the tomorrow that I was hoping would never come. We had a birth plan. This could work. Most _humans_ created birth plans. I was trying to envision myself holding Bella's hand while she was sedated…

I tried to imagine Carlisle effortlessly removing our baby from the womb. I tried to picture my face in his eyes. Tried to see the elation I knew I would never feel. I wanted to be like the fathers on TV and in movies. I wanted to be like the fathers in Carlisle's thoughts; on the days he came home after delivering a baby.

I wanted to be like those fathers; holding their wives' hands as each woman lay screaming in anguish. I wanted to kiss my wife, my eyes glistening with tears, and push her hair off her sweaty face. I wanted to coo to her and tell her what a wonderful job she had done. I wanted to tell her how beautiful our child was. How much it looked like her. I wanted my wife to ask to hold her child to—

The thoughts got to painful. I wanted all of this. I wanted to be like those fathers, but I never _could _be. I couldn't even hope for Bella to wake up after this. She would wake up of course. And I would still love her, possibly more. But she would not be the same.

She would be cold, red-eyed, graceful and hard as stone. I was going to miss every part she was losing more than she ever would.

I was going to miss the warmth her blood gave her, especially the way her blood pooled in her cheeks when she blushed; those expressive brown eyes, allowing me my only window into her elusive thoughts; her ability to trip over even the smoothest of surfaces was almost graceful in a very Bella-way; and the softness of her skin, how gentle, careful and calculating I had to be when I touched her. I could only hope the first year of her existence as a vampire went quickly. I didn't want to think about Bella losing her mind—choosing the bloodlust over _me_. I was going to miss everything. And I was going to be useless.

As a vampire Bella wouldn't need protecting. She would be so much stronger…

"All righty, then. Whoops—oh no!"

"_Ha ha beat ya!"_ Rosalie shouted in her thoughts as her hand reached for the spilling cup of blood. Mine and Jacob's hands were on it nearly as fast.

This moment. This instant of vampire speed and friendly sibling banter was insignificant. We hadn't even managed to save the tasty red liquid from sullying the couch. This moment wouldn't have mattered. _Shouldn't have mattered._ The blood didn't even smell that good—stale. We weren't loosing our heads. And Esme would have the couch replaced…

But this moment _did_ matter. _It mattered the most._

It hurt to watch everything go in slow motion. To see my failure happen before my eyes. It hurt to _feel_. And for the first time in my century of life, I felt _old_.

I wanted to shout at Bella. To stop her! Through all the craziness I wanted to know _what was she thinking_?

My body tensed as Bella bent to catch the cup, which was no longer in danger of falling. Rosalie tensed beside me.

"_Oh my God, NO!" _her thoughts screamed.

Although Jacob was frozen in place his insides seemed to dissolve. It looked like the smallest of shoves could send Jacob into a lump on the floor. If I hadn't been so terrified I might have found this idea very humorous.

And then…I died…

_Ha! _If only...

As far as I knew vampires couldn't blackout…but in that moment, _I _did.

I didn't need to see…I couldn't see. My entire world was simply a noise. One great cleaving noise from the center of Bella's body. And a tiny voice cried, _"OW!"_

"Oh!" Bella gasped.

And then the world ended…

Though I could not be so lucky to end with it.

Every part of me rang with disappoint. I had never failed anything. And yet here I was _watching_ Bella go completely limp. _Watching_ as her heavy body quickly hurdled toward the wood floor. It was in that moment that I knew all was lost. I had failed. Rosalie caught Bella in the same instant, but there was no playfulness to her thoughts now.

I absentmindedly reached my hands out but I was slowly disintegrating. There weren't pieces of me left to really catch Bella. The only thing left was my failure. I had failed to _ever_ protect Bella. I had failed Bella. I knew it was over…

It was Rosalie's thoughts that brought me back to reality.

"_NO! The baby! Oh no! Not the baby! Not the little, innocent, defenseless…"_

"Bella?" I had meant it to be a shout. An outrage. A plea. I had meant for her to hear my anguish. To know I was dying too…

She screamed. And I knew she heard me. She heard me because that bloodcurdling shriek was for me. _I _had done this too her. I had finally scared her. _I was a monster_…

The things that happened next were straight out of a horror film…

Blood. Blood was life, for human and vampire. Blood was _everywhere_. My instinct was to drink the blood. But that was a waste. It smelled so fusty. The blood that gushed from Bella's mouth wasn't even her own. At that moment I hated blood…

And then the little devil inside Bella started to kill her. To _tear her from the inside._ I was going to lose _everything_!

Rosalie thawed first. I forced myself to focus. To _think_. And then I remembered exactly how we were going to make it through this. Everything was ready. Except me…

"There's no time! Edward we have to get the baby out, now!" Rosalie spoke so fast, even _I _had a hard time understanding her.

But I followed suit. Rosalie wanted to save the baby. That was neither a thought in my mind nor a priority. I _had _to save Bella. I _had _to protect her. I owed her everything I had become. Up until this point I had been starting to feel settled. To feel proud. I had overcome every obstacle that could have killed Bella. _I had overcome myself._ I was starting to be able to live with myself, knowing that _when _I made Bella a vampire I was giving her what _she _wanted. I didn't deserve her. I _never _deserved her. But I was also no longer the canker sore on her life. She _was _my life. She had given me a renewed sense of life. My heart metaphorically beat for her. And even though her scream had answered me—telling me I was a monster—I know her heart beat for me too. And her heart still beat. I could save her! Yes, Bella deserved that much.

"Morphine!" I yelled at Rosalie.

"_I KNOW!" _Rosalie scathingly shouted at me in my head. "Alice—get Carlisle on the phone!"

I could hear Alice dialing Carlisle as she kept her eyes on the future. I watched idly for a moment as I stabbed Bella with the syringe, but there was nothing discernable within the murky images.

Rosalie was in a complete panic now. I tried not to get sucked into it. I was focused. I would stay focused. I could almost hear my thoughts chanting, _Bella's heart beats. Bella's heart beats. Bella's heart beats._ It began to sound like the rhythmic thumping of that powerful organ. _Thump. Thump. Thump_...

"What's _happening_, Edward?"

"He's suffocating!"

Rosalie's thoughts suddenly became a rush of, _"Save the baby!"_

"The placenta must have detached!" I explained.

But Rosalie was far from hearing me. She was trying to keep _her_ focus. _I hated her focus_. Even in a crisis Rosalie was just as self-centered as ever. What did she care if Bella…

"Get him OUT!" Bella screamed. "He can't BREATHE! Do it NOW!"

As Bella screamed again, I tried not to wonder about what she was thinking. What she had seen or sensed should not have been my concern at the moment. But I couldn't help myself…I could never help myself…I was _helpless_…

I took in a deep, useless breath, and brought back my mantra. My beating heart. _And Bella's kept beating_.

"The morphine—" I growled at Rosalie again.

"NO! NOW—!" Her stomach expunged more blood. Instantly my hands were holding her, hoping to clear her mouth. Silently _willing_ her to continue to breathe.

I did not see Alice—as she ran into the room, giving Rosalie the earpiece that had Carlisle with all the answers on the other end—I only heard her thoughts which were—ironically—for my knowing, _only_.

"_Edward, no one will be able to tolerate you if she dies. And I'd miss Bella so much…" _Her 'voice' quivered for a moment as she deliberated if she should let me know her next thought. Her decision had an instantaneous effect. _"Edward, I don't think I could forgive you."_ I looked at her then as she backed out of the room. Her large gold eyes were wide and burning. She _meant_ it.

I made the drumming in my head thump louder, trying to keep my mind where it should have never left. _On Bella_. But the thought of losing Bella _and _Alice was too much.

Without Bella I was heartless and lonely. Without Alice I was _alone_. Alice was always that blip of illumination in my gloom. I loved her like the little sister I never had. And she looked to me as an older brother. There was immense respect between the two of us. She understood me in a way that no one else could and visa versa. Alice was little _and_ annoying. But she was also passionate _and_ dangerous. I didn't need to see one of her visions to know that if Bella died I would never see Alice again and it wouldn't be because my limbs were being torched.

I tried to focus on what Rosalie was saying but I knew the directions Carlisle was giving her. I wasn't sure why I wasn't acting on them myself. But the warmth—that was quickly fading—in my hands was explanation enough. I didn't want to let Bella go. Holding her seemed to help me keep her with me—keep her heart beating. And when I held her, the sound of her _real_ heart was loud in my ears. It was musical. But it fluttered often. And each time it fluttered the sound grew softer. Like the sound of a decrescendo; booming at first with life and vibrancy and then slowly becoming nothing more than a single, soft note. The melody of her heartbeat was replaced by only one instrument. A soft bass, the most basic of heartbeat sounds was all that even _I _could hear.

She was beginning to bleed internally. Her blood. Her precious blood was being spilled. _Inside her_. My instinct was to think how wasteful that was. But I knew better. I tried to contain the venom that was attempting to creep its way into my mouth. Now that would be a waste. I wasn't sure I had _enough_ venom…

Rosalie's hand came up with a scalpel. I knew what was coming. But I would be okay. _I could handle this_. I had been practicing for this moment since I had met Bella. It had cost me so much to be able to be with Bella the way we'd been _together_. Everything with her had taken practice. We still had so much more to practice. So much unfinished, unsaid. _Did she really know how much I loved her?_

I knew there wasn't time to stall and yet I didn't want this to hurt Bella more than it already had. "Let the morphine spread!" I snarled at Rosalie.

"There's not time," Rosalie hissed. "He's dying!"

It bothered me immensely that Rosalie had said _'he's dying!' _We never really got along but was she really so selfish? So cruel? Did she really not care as long as _she_ got her precious baby? Did she really think she could go gallivanting around with this baby while _my_ Bella was dead? Did she think that she could raise _my_ child and be a family with Emmett while I tore myself to shreds? Did she really think I would let this child exist if Bella didn't? I internally shuddered. Rosalie just had to have _everything_!

I wasn't going to let her have it. I wasn't going to give up that easily. _This was my family_!

The scalpel ripped through Bella's skin effortlessly. _And then her blood gushed_. I could smell it all over the place like that first day in biology. _She was delicious_. But I had no appetite. And I simply stopped breathing through my nose. The situation was just easier to handle that way. It was easier to keep my head clear. To keep my head on her beating heart. I was used to not breathing around Bella. It seemed almost natural.

But Rosalie could not help herself. She always wanted _everything_. It was the first time I noticed Rosalie's black eyes. She was thirsty. Bella was delicious and now _brimming_ with blood..."No, Rose!"

Then I noticed Jacob…_had he been standing there the entire time? I hadn't heard any of his thoughts_…But I was thankful for his presence…And then instincts of my own kicked in…A more _human_ kind.

I didn't see the scuffle that followed, but I heard Alice come to the door and remove Rosalie all the while pleading to me mentally, _"SAVE HER EDWARD! SAVE HER!"_

"Alice, get her out of here!" I hoped Alice could hear the warning in my voice for her to get away as well. I didn't want her to loss herself too. Plus it would hinder my mission. "Take her to Jasper and _keep_ her there! Jacob, I need you!"

In spite of everything I was proud of myself. _I was officially in control of everything, now_! I was proud the way Carlisle was always proud of me. Proud of what I was capable of in a way I thought I never could be. _Ha! _I was about to be a _proud_ father…though not in the way it's typically considered.

I watched as Bella started turning blue. _No more thinking_! I admonished myself. I looked at Jacob. My face was set. "CPR?" I demanded.

"Yes!"

I could see Jacob's thoughts now as he recalled the class he'd attended at school. I was confident we could get through this!

"Get her breathing! I've got to get him out before—"

The crack that resonated from Bella's body was so loud in my ears it was almost painful. The force of the noise was like that of large, healthy tree suddenly keeling to the ground and then bursting into flames. Jacob and I froze with shock. I watched as Bella's body became much like the lump I had imagined Jacob's body to be not so long ago…

_It _had broken her spine. No matter what she would never be the same. This time instead of creating my own heartbeat I listened for hers. It was there. Slight…Even slighter than before. But it was there. There was no going back from this point. _Nothing would fix Bella but me_!

"Her spine," I chocked, trying to keep the utter terror out of my voice.

Jacob heard it anyway; I could see myself in his thoughts. He had no idea what this meant I now _had_ to do! Jacob's thoughts were a snarl; similar to his real voice at that moment.

"Get it _out_ of her!" he growled. In the next moment the scalpel came whirling at me. "She won't feel anything now!"

I caught the scalpel and watched distractedly as Jacob began CPR. Jacob's thoughts kept me on track. I could hear Bella's faint heart in my ears with no trouble. The sound of the noise doubled when I heard it again through Jacob's thoughts. This healthy sounding heart gave me my resolve.

"_Keep it going." _Jacob thought fiercely. I took that as a direct order for myself. I cut. Bella's blood spilled everywhere. The crimson liquid begged to me. But I didn't care for it. I wasn't going to be a—a _lush_! The thought was so funny to me I almost laughed. But the heartbeat brought me back and I prepared to remove the hard vampire-skin womb. At that moment I heard Jacob think, _"You promised. Keep your heart beating." _

And then I began to rip…with my teeth. It was…_unnerving_. The skin came apart and I used my hands to create a wider opening. I heard Jacob murmuring to Bella but I could not concentrate on his words. I was about to deliver my child…

Quickly I scooped up the pink _thing_ that was killing Bella. As I held the child in my arms my world changed…

A heartbeat. This baby had a heartbeat too! I started at it. It was warm…So warm…And soft…But not too soft. There was a light brown, lone, limp, wet curl at the top of its head. _My hair color_. My baby opened its eyes to me, and I was shocked to see Bella's eyes. I felt like I knew this child…after everything I _loved_ this child. I wanted to whisper, _Hello, it's nice to see you again_. But something entirely different came out instead.

"Renesmee," I heard myself murmur.

I had a daughter. I had a daughter with Bella's beautiful expressive eyes! _I was a proud father_! My moment of awe ended when I heard Bella's weak voice. I didn't know she was conscious…

"Let me…" she croaked. "Give her to me."

I bumped Jacob with the baby as I passed. It wasn't a monster! It wasn't a murderer! I was a father!

"Renes…mee. So…beautiful."

And then she bit her. _Crap_! I was an idiot. I had been so swept up in the baby being a _real_ baby I hadn't been thinking. "No, Renesmee," I said. I could tell Jacob didn't understand what I was doing nor did he like it. And I didn't like his thoughts.

And then there was silence. Dead silence. The heartbeat…_the heartbeat had stopped_! This was twice I was thankful Jacob was around. If I kept this up I would never be able to repay him.

"What are you waiting for?" Jacob asked between pumping Bella's heart and blowing breaths into her lungs. I could hear him counting. _Damn how I hated counting_. It always meant something…_bad_…to me at least.

"Take the baby," I said urgently hoping if he did Jacob would understand. He would see. He would know. There was no danger from her. She wasn't a…_monster. _The same way I wasn't a _monster_. Oh! _I wasn't a monster!_

But he didn't take her. He said something that if he'd only _looked_ at her he'd have regretted ever even thinking! "Throw it out the window."

Jacob made me sick. I wanted to take Jacob by the collar and smash my hand into—

"Give her to me," Rosalie chimed from the doorway.

Never once did it cross my mind to consider how Rosalie knew it was a girl. How long had she been standing there? How much had she seen? Why was she so _intrusive_? Why did the two people I liked least in the world have to be involved with _everything_?

Rosalie really was no better than Jacob! However Jacob was on my side as we snarled at her.

"I've got it under control," Rosalie promised. "Give me the baby, Edward. I'll take care of her until Bella…" I just nodded. I could tell Rosalie meant it. And she wasn't going to keep the baby. She expected Bella to get through this to care for her _own_ daughter. I forgave Rosalie by handing her Renesmee. Rosalie's obvious glee at this honor emanated from her all the way through the house. Then I went to get my venom.

"Move your hands, Jacob."

"What's that?"

I carelessly broke Jacob's pinkie finger as I shoved his hand out of the way. I was focused on my task, though I did manage to consider how I never thought of Jacob as…_delicate_...

Without any trepidation I shoved my venom into Bella's heart. _There was no going back_. Human Bella was _dead_. But we were going to go forward with this. Bella would continue to exist. "My venom," I answered as I pushed the plunger down.

_It worked_. Bella's heart jolted into action. I had no time then. I had to get to work. "Keep it moving," I ordered Jacob.

I heard Jacob think of me as a machine and I used that to guide me. There was no time to think about anything. Slowly, as I had always done, I pressed my lips to Bella's skin.

I started on the thin epidermis of her throat. She was still tantalizingly warm there. I knew her smell would linger even when her blood was no longer pumping—even slowly as it did now—through her heart. It was so luscious. So strong. And so much apart of her. Her smell would always linger. And I would always love it. It pleased me to know I would always find her delicious. And with that, ever so gently, I pressed my teeth to her throat. Next I moved to her wrists, the crease at the inside of her arm...

I started where pulses were strong. Where her body temperature was still warm. I started where I hoped I could save her the fastest. I never let her bleed for a second and I never let myself enjoy her blood for a second. I let my mouth flood with venom and would then lick the flowing blood. Instantly the bite would heal, colder than the actual temperature of her body, leaving only the mark of my teeth behind.

And everything was fine…And then Jacob started thinking again.

I hated him…again. He was being worse than cynical. _He wasn't even trying_. And his thoughts were ruining everything for me! I wish I had thought to throw Jacob out the window when he'd suggested it in regards to Renesmee. I wanted him to leave. _He was killing Bella for me_! I didn't have the energy to shout at him. I didn't want to waste my time _telling_ him…Bella wasn't dead…She _couldn't _be dead… If he thought I wasting my time—not that it mattered I had all the time in the world—well then he could leave! I wanted him to _get out_! To stop thinking. To _never_ think near me again! _Finally_ he considered it. "Go, then," I snapped before he could really cause any harm.

I broke three fingers moving him out of the way, but I wished I broke his whole hand. Or maybe his _neck_. His ears couldn't hear the fine bass, which was life for Bella. But I could. I _knew_ I could. "She's not dead," I growled. "She's going to be fine." I wasn't talking to Jacob anymore. I was saying it out loud for _my_ benefit. _I _needed to reaffirm it.

Blissfully Jacob left. I didn't care where he went. I didn't care if I never saw him again. I didn't care…As long as he didn't touch my daughter on the way out. And that was a sure thing...

For one thing, there were too many vampires around. For another, he hadn't even _looked_ at her when she was in the room. He hadn't seen what I'd seen. He hadn't seen _her_. At least he wouldn't be bothering my family any longer. _Bothering me_. Maybe he _would_ never come back. He'd never know Bella was fine…a vampire…but fine. Whatever. Jacob had lost. And I would save Bella. Better I did anyway…

_I always saved Bella_! I was her protector. Her vampire angel…Bella's heart _had_ to keep beating. She had promised. She had promised _me and Jacob_. She had to keep that promise. _She had to see our daughter again…_

Slowly her heart began to beat on its own. Nothing strong or solid. But a beat nonetheless. Soon the pain would start, but Carlisle had an idea about how to ease that...there was nothing for me to do until he came home. I had done my job. _Bella was safe_. She was alive. _She had to be alive_. And when she woke up she would have everything she wanted. She _finally_ would be a vampire. And she'd be a mother…

The danger was past. I wished I could rest. I felt…_drained_. Like I had lost nearly as much blood as Bella. But everything was finally going to be okay. Smooth sailing into forever.

I took Bella's hand and sat beside her. My mind was swimming. Alice casually walked by the door and without speaking said, _"Thank you! Now be patient!" _I tuned Alice out. I already knew what Bella looked as a vampire. I didn't want to see it until it was done. Alice had said—or not said—_enough_.

Downstairs my ears picked up a tiny heart—one that beat faster than most. And I smiled. We _all _were going to make it through this! My smile broadened and I thought of Renesmee. She was a real baby…never a monster…I wasn't a monster either. I had saved Renesmee and Bella. I was Renesmee's _daddy_…I was a protector…

* * *

_**Nobody said it was easy,  
oh its such a shame for us to part.  
Nobody said it was easy,  
No-one ever said it would be so hard.**_


	4. Parachutes

**Author's Note: **Welcome to the final chapter of Vampire Daddy! This fic has been both exhilarating and fun to write and I'm very proud of it! I'm also a little sad to see its completion, but it is _finally_ complete. I would like to apologize for taking so long to update. As I had suspected, school completely annihilated all the free flowing creativity I had. But I never forgot about this fic! And a few nights ago, my writer's block finally ended! This is the longest fic I've written and I'm going to miss it, especially since I'm not sure what I'm going to write about next. I'd like to keep this Author's note short, so there is one final thing to address, in this final note, in the final chapter. I would like to thank my devoted readers for your support through reviewing and adding this story and me to your favorites list. _Thank you_! It has truly been my pleasure!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything Twilight...And I owe ColdPlay for having such perfect album titles! Also, at the end of each chapter I include the lyrics of one of the songs on the selected album!

ENJOY!!

* * *

**Vampire Daddy**

* * *

**Part Four: Parachutes**

The sound of Renesmee's fluttering heart pulsed loudly in my ears. I tried to imagine hot, fluid blood coursing through my veins. My hands were clenched so tightly into fists I pretended to feel the steady adrenaline rush receding from my muscles. But all I really felt was…numb.

There was nothing left in me to feel…

I stared at Bella's lifeless form, hearing Renesmee's heart. Was Alice right? Was Bella still really here? Were we truly together? Or was this the end I had thought was inevitable the moment I had caught her scent? Was I too late? Had I failed? _What have I done? _

Gazing at Bella's naked, disheveled, broken form not really seeing her, I took a deep, heady breath and the smell of Bella's blood, still strong, engulfed me. My mind swam with the images of the last several hours. But I no longer felt uplifted…

I was scared…I unclenched my bloody fists and leaned closer to Bella, gently placing my hand on top of hers, I caressed her fingers. Her hand felt soft and frozen…Not quite my temperature yet. But there was very little heat left in the extremity. _That didn't mean I had succeeded!_

I focused on the low, steady thud that was Bella's beating heart. I was momentarily comforted enough to listen to the vibrant, twittering of Renesmee's heart. There was so much music to her heartbeat. Another rhythm reached my ears then.

This heartbeat was sturdy; the tempo was similar to the steady beating of a drum. _Jacob?! _

The compulsion to leave the room and protect my daughter overtook me so fast; I actually stepped away from Bella. I stared at my foot, completely conflicted.

Bella would never know if I left the room for a moment. But _I_ always would and I couldn't live with that. I had left once and once was enough for the both of us! Renesmee was plenty protected and if Jacob felt like staying in a house full of vampires for whatever illogical reason…well that was _his_ predilection. _I _didn't have time for Jacob. _He_ had left Bella to die!

"I'm here, _you _are still my life," I whispered. There was no movement. She wasn't even grimacing in pain! Bella looked…_Peaceful_…More so than she ever did in sleep.

This was so typical of Bella! I _wanted_ her to scream! She _should_ scream! She should be convulsing with the burning pain! Her body should be making guttural noises no one knows they have the capability of making! But there was nothing...Was she _empty_? Just like the way_ I_ felt?

No…That wasn't right…I wasn't _empty_…The _only_ time I had felt such a way was when I had left in the hopes of giving Bella back the life I had thought she was losing by being with me…This was no where near the same feeling…I was just…numb…_I was lost_…

Only moments ago it had seemed so easy to be _happy_…But staring at Bella…so dead looking on the table…so _frozen_…

It seemed like it would be forever before we would look into each other's eyes again, I didn't care that they would be blood red the next time I saw them. If only she would _open_ her eyes!

It had been easy to look at the near future and hope…

Suddenly the house exploded with the sound of raised voices. Rosalie and Jacob sounded like they were sparing off as usual. But the intensity of their fight had me slightly intrigued…This was not the usual bickering…

I stared at Bella, blocking out all the thoughts I would hear if I listened. Bella really was a wreck…The fighting would stop eventually.

Taking a wash cloth from the pile Carlisle had stocked the room with; I dipped it into the basin of antiseptic set aside for sterilizing our hands…Not that that was truly necessary…

The voices grew louder and I started washing Bella's face, gently wiping away the blood…And the yelling continued to escalate…The two of them were unbelievably immature! But I would not leave Bella while she endured this!

"I'm staying! I'm not going any—"

"Edward, get out!" Alice pranced into the room.

I stared at Alice beleaguered, "You're joking!"

"_Get out, _Edward! Or do I need to start saying it in another language?"

"No! _You _should already _know_ _I'm not leaving_!"

Alice rolled her eyes and snatched the wash cloth from me and pointed to the door.

I folded my arms. "_Why_ exactly are you kicking me out?"

"Because I picked out the perfect outfit for when she wakes up and—"

I groaned, "Alice, you can do that _later_!"

"But it's better if I do it now!" Alice began gently scrubbing Bella's arms with the wash cloth.

"This isn't open for discussion!" I tried to snatch the wash cloth from her, but Alice was already lunging away.

"_You're_ the one who's discussing it!" she argued.

"Alice, I will carry you out," I said, the defense in my tone starting to break.

"Ha! I'd like to see you try!"

There was the distinctive sound of something being smashed and then several feet marching up the stairs.

Alice stared, "Oh! I'll be right back!"

I stood there listening as Alice darted from the room and returned carrying a warm blanket, something blue that smelled like silk and a pair of stilettos. I turned to stare at the approaching footsteps. The soft breeze of fabric brushed passed my face and when I looked towards its source, Alice was already tucking the edges of the blanket beneath Bella.

I smiled, approvingly at Alice who looked very satisfied with her work. I was pleased, though Bella still didn't look like herself, but she did look a little less alarming.

Even the room felt less like the scene from a horror movie…Of course I never expected that's what was stalking in…

Rosalie stomped into the office—Emmett earnestly, shadowing her every move—her vixen features contorted with rage. But my horror came from the sight of Rosalie's empty arms. There was no time to ask questions as Jacob stepped into the room, a little calmer than Rosalie, my daughter sleeping comfortably in his embrace. Jasper hovered in the doorway, ready to act at the slightest sign of emotional distress.

My instinct was to take Renesmee from Jacob. _How dare him! _Only some short hours ago he'd suggested throwing her out the window! He wouldn't even _look at_ her!

I controlled my sneer because I could tell it pleased Rosalie. And I was in no mood for either of their antics!

_What had brought this on? What had changed?!_ I resisted the urge to growl. "What's this?" I asked, with as much calm as I could muster.

Jacob winced at the slight edge to my voice.

He was _afraid _of me? What had he done to my daughter?!

I glanced from Jacob to Rosalie. No one was moving. No one was thinking.

I composed myself, taking into account even the thirst exposed by the blackness of my irises. There was no need to look menacing. There was time for explanations…_hopefully_…Nevertheless Jacob was not the enemy. And despite _everything_, I _was_ in his debt.

This whole scene just didn't make sense. Rosalie grinned and pointed at Jacob with an accusing finger. _"Explain," _she thought.

Jacob stared at me, his eyes pleading. I blinked as his thoughts reached me like a tidal wave…

First it was simply the memory of walking down the stairs with every intention of fleeing from this house and as far away from Forks as was possible. But then came the thoughts of _killing_ Renesmee, Rosalie…Of destroying my _family_…How easily he could have done it in that moment, even calculating how long he _might_ survive.

I tried to control the rage that began to boil. My lips remained a hard unreadable line. A hiss was barred by the firm set of my teeth. _Not my daughter!_ But I would allow Jacob to tell his story…I owed him that much, _for now_…

Jacob remembered seeing her eyes. And I saw how _he _was just as enchanted as _I _had been when I delivered her. Her eyes were just as bright and full of emotion as when she'd blinked at me, all pink and wet and shocked as she was then. And then I realized what Jacob was showing me…

I knew what it felt like to have your whole world revolve around one solid entity. To be so completely attached that your own existence becomes completely insignificant without them. I knew what it was like to look into their eyes..._Those eyes_…And see the person _you_ wanted to be…To know you _could_ be better, yet also be _so_ completely undeserving of the person…_Bella_…Who made you feel that way.

And I _realized_ what Jacob was feeling. _Who _he was feeling this for. What he _meant_ by those feelings! _No, not her!_

For a moment I relished in the memory of the last time I had thought those words…I would _much_ rather be saving Bella from a truck right now!

Unpredictably, it all made sense. Jacob had never really _loved_ Bella. But…my daughter?! She was barely only a few hours old…It made sense, but this was not something I was prepared to deal with…_yet_…

Jacob continued to stare at me, pleadingly.

I shook my head, "No…"

Jacob opened his mouth to speak but I shook my head again, "No I don't want to hear it! I've _heard_ enough!"

"I'm not sorry," Jacob's mouth was set in a firm line. He looked like he was resisting the urge to smile.

"Give Renesmee to me, please," I extended my arms in anticipation.

Jacob glanced at her serenity and then at the glare in my hungry eyes. After a moment of silent deliberation and his conclusion that I was capable of controlling myself around her, he handed me, _my daughter_.

Cradling Renesmee against my chest, I glanced at her serene features to help rid me of my irritation. I momentarily approved of how well she seemed to fit in my arms. Just like when I held Bella close, it felt _right_. My world could not be at such odds and ends if three pieces among the jigsaw fit so perfectly…But there was no room for a _fourth_ piece…

"We can discuss this when Bella is awake, she should have an opportunity to form her own opinions about this." I did my best to keep the growling infuriation from my tone.

Jacob nodded and then stared at Renesmee, still sound asleep, now in my arms. I glared at him. "It would be in your best interest to leave now, Jacob."

He walked out of the room, but I knew he would not leave the house, shouting in his thoughts, _"You can't keep her away from me!"_

"She's still my daughter," I answered.

Rosalie, looking particularly smug came to stand beside me, expectantly.

"Rose, you can leave too," I closed my eyes and took a deep breath listening to her exit. Emmett and Jasper on her tail.

I heard her reach the door and stop. I could sense the smirk that lingered on her lips, "Sweetest dreams Renesmee. Enjoy changing her diaper, _Daddy_."

Letting Rosalie's parting sentiment sink in, for a brief moment I was concerned…Who expected Renesmee to so…_Alive_?!

I opened my eyes. "Do we even have diapers?"

Alice started giggling, "Wow! You really _do_ have your priorities straight."

"And you're really short, Alice. Is there a reason we're stating the obvious?"

Alice shrugged, "I'm just impressed with your control, but that's really no surprise since you were able to resist Bella's blood, and we all know how hard that was for you."

I stared at Alice blankly, not following.

"I can never _see_ when Jacob's around, I half expected you to hand Renesmee to Rosalie and attack him! He seemed prepared for the same thing," Alice edged toward the door, "it's why Rosalie and Jacob started shouting in the first place. Rose would have _liked_ you to kill him for _impri—_"

I closed my eyes and tried to contain my rage. "Alice, tha—"

She held her hands up in surrender, "I'm leaving, relax! I'll go ask Jasper or Emmett to get diapers."

I smiled as Alice flitted down the stairs. I stood there a long time with my eyes closed, savoring in Renesmee's deep, tranquil breaths. I vaguely noticed it was twilight. Today I had become a father! My first day was nearly completely…But it wasn't _just _for today…I was Renesmee's daddy _forever_.

I opened my eyes to stare at my daughter as a distressing thought occurred to me. Already the warm baby in my arms looked older than a few hours. And suddenly, I didn't want to miss a minute of seeing her…

We needed to learn more about her! _How fast would she grow?! How long would she live?! _Each thought became more agonizing and the urgent _need_ for answers became more and more imperative. _Has there ever been anything like her before? _

I decided I would talk to Carlisle as soon as he returned home. Nothing would be done until Bella awoke. We had _that_ much time, I was sure.

_Time_. There was never _enough_. My life had been one endless night before Bella, and since her entrance into my life, time was always running out. Even now, as eternity dawned on Bella, time was still short. Yet it felt like lots of time would pass before the change was complete. _How much would Bella miss of our daughter's growth?_

Renesmee twisted in her sleep and her dimpled hand rested against my chest. She was dreaming, naturally. I saw my face surface, amid all the effervescent colors and shapes. Her dream lingered there a moment, she knew who I was and she loved me. Suddenly I was staring at Bella's face, the image—which was more memory than dream—was from a very strange angle. I was easily taken in by the adoration and curiosity that emanated from Renesmee's thoughts about her mother. I was still enjoying the sight of Bella from this perspective, though she looked rather gruesome, when Jacob's dark eyes and wide grin obscured her...

I gently shifted Renesmee and her tiny palm slumped to her side. Unexpectedly I was removed from Renesmee's mind…_That was strange_...However, I had no current inclination to return to her dreams, and the sight of Jacob had rocked me from my own serenity.

Standing beside Bella, with Renesmee sleeping in my arms, I was determined to remain calm. I began to hum Bella's Lullaby. Slowly that transitioned to a number of other compositions I'd written. Outside the sky grew progressively lighter. Dawn was breaking as I finished off the notes of the last piece. I was sad I had nothing left to hum…I had _hoped_ my humming to Renesmee while she slept had soothed Bella some too. I had _hoped_ it had woken her up. But she was as still and comatose as ever…My heart ached…

Abruptly, inspiration struck and I felt a new melody begin to form.

Renesmee opened her eyes blearily and stared at me. And again, I was moved by the sight of her brown eyes, _Bella's_ brown eyes. She just stared contently, almost intrigued, waiting for me to continue.

The tune was soft like Bella's Lullaby, but the rhythm was a steady, strong beat, slightly faster than usual. There was whimsicalness to the fluid transition of notes. And when the melody finally reached its end, the last note rang in the air with such exhilarating joy and hope that I was sure I saw Renesmee smile. But it happened so fast, I could only have imagined it…

"Oh Edward, that was magnificent!"

I turned at the sound of Esme's voice, too distracted to have heard her come in.

One hand was covering her mouth in awe and she looked like if she could, she would be crying. But Esme didn't need the visual of moisture in her eyes; it was easy to see she'd been touched.

"Thank you," I smiled.

Esme came to stand beside me, her eyes only for my daughter. The hand over her mouth moved to rest over her still heart. "She's stunning!" Esme put her other hand on my arm, "_Thank you_," she said, her voice breaking over the common expression of gratitude.

I shook my head, "Esme, what could you possibly by thanking _me_ for?"

She looked up at me then her eyes bright with emotion. "Well, not technically speaking, but I think I'm a—" Esme took a deep breath, unable to gain control of her voice she chocked out, "_grandma!_"

It was then I fully understood why she was so grateful. She never needed to say the word aloud, but I knew she had wanted to _hear_ herself say it. More than anything, when her son died, any future, especially one containing grandchildren, perished. But the ache for a child never completely ebbed from Esme's conscious.

Esme gazed at me hopefully. "May I hold her?" she squeaked.

Without hesitation, I placed my daughter in Esme's waiting arms. Esme stood there cooing and whispering. Renesmee reached out her hand to touch Esme's face.

"OH!" Esme staggered slightly, her eyes alight with wonder. "You're thirsty?" she asked Renesmee.

In the hopes of helping Esme get an answer I read Renesmee's mind. My throat itched as she thought of the blood she was craving. I ignored the ache and turned to look at Esme. "You really do have an excellent motherly instinct," I complimented her.

Esme chuckled and shook her head, "While I appreciate the compliment that's not what it was, Edward."

I was confused, "Then how could you possibly know she was thir—"

Esme's face lit up with that same look of wonder she had when Renesmee had touched her. "She told me!"

"She _told _you?"

I gaped at Esme unable to grasp what she meant. Renesmee stared complacently at the both of us.

"How did she tell you, exactly?" The question came out with a mixture of doubt and strangled fear. _Was she talking already?!_

Renesmee reached out to touch my face. Esme glanced down and nodded, "I believe she's answering your question."

I placed my cheek against Renesmee's palm and immediately I was immersed in her thoughts again. Except now she was replaying the shock on my face back to me. She thought I looked amusing. I chuckled. I felt her warm hand leave my cheek.

And I knew what the wonder in my eyes must look like as I gazed into Esme's. I stood frozen in place. Renesmee placed her hand on my cheek again and showed me Esme's face and the mirror image of my own. She was wondering why we were so stunned and then, abruptly, why no one was feeding her.

Reverently I said, "You better go feed her then!"

"Carlisle!" Esme called as she left. I heard Esme calculatingly descend the stairs and I realized with amazement, how Renesmee had completed my entire family. Begrudgingly I recognized that Jacob was now included in that family…

"_Amazing!" _Carlisle thought as he entered his office.

I beamed with pride, completely at a loss for words. Although I was pleased to see Carlisle, all the questions and apprehensions I had momentarily forgotten began to descend on me again, weighing me down…There was just so _much_!

"_I took her measurements. Rosalie says she's grown since her birth, that's interesting. I'll be carefully monitoring the rate of Renesmee's growth, there's so much we don't know! Do you think she'll like formula as much as blood?"_

The eargerness for new information in Carlisle's thoughts was something I was very used to. But he misunderstood the deep seeded anguish in my eyes. I did not share the same delight in his curiosities. To me, each question without a definitive answer meant I would lose one of the things I cherished most, if not both…Very soon…

Carlisle shook his head a moment apologetically, _"But primarily, there's Bella…" _

Carlisle moved to stand beside Bella, lightly pressing his fingers to her pulse. He looked up at me, "Still no change?"

"None." It felt like so much time had past and there was no change in Bella, yet there were subtle signs of growth in Renesmee, again.

Lifting her wrist slightly, Carlisle took a deep breath. "There's no scent of the morphine left."

"I know," I deadpanned.

As impossible as it was, Bella's silence was physically killing me! So much was happening while she lay completely motionless. "Bella? Can you hear me? Bella? Bella, love? Can you open your eyes? Can you squeeze my hand?"

I placed my hand in hers, hoping she would grab it…It pained me so much not knowing what was going on! Not knowing how I could help…Or at least not being able to know if she knew I was here! How I would not leave if she wanted to thrash about until it was over. And her heartbeat still was not loud enough to prove to me she wasn't dying…Well in a way she was…

I looked at Carlisle unable to keep the pain out of my voice, "Maybe…Carlisle, maybe I was too _late_." My eyes pricked. Bella _had_ to be alive! If not for me then for our daughter! She had to see Renesmee again! She needed to meet the absolutely amazing creature our daughter was! I _needed_ her…After everything...I couldn't lose her like _this_!

Carlisle could see I was getting myself into a thorough panic. He put his arm around my shoulders to calm me. "Listen to her heart, Edward. It's stronger than even Emmett's was. I've never heard anything so _vital_. She'll be perfect."

"And her—her spine?" I felt like a child asking Carlisle such trivial questions. But I needed his reassurance. I was suffering because I couldn't be sure Bella was.

"Her injuries weren't so much worse than Esme's. The venom will heal her as it did Esme."

_I was inconsolable_. "But she's so still. I _must_ have done something wrong." I _always_ did something wrong. _I was always hurting her!_

Carlisle smiled then, "Or something right, Edward. Son, you did everything I could have and more. I'm not sure I would have had the persistence, the faith it took to save her. Stop berating yourself. Bella is going to be fine."

I grimaced. "She must be in agony," I whispered, unable to control the breaking in my voice.

"We don't know that. She had so much morphine in her system. We don't know the effect that will have on her experience." Carlisle seemed confident with his assessment.

He believed in the morphine so much…And Bella _wasn't_ moving…Maybe I _have_ been looking at this the wrong way…Maybe Bella really wasn't being brave for me, wasn't concerning herself with _my_ feelings. It was possible I was causing enough agony for the both of us…Perhaps _she_ was really the _numb_ one...Her brachial pulse _did_ seem a little more prevailing...But it wasn't possible she wasn't feeling _anything_...She was burning..._My_ venom was flowing through her veins, poisoning her, _killing her!_ _This was all my fault!_ "Bella, I love you. Bella, I'm sorry," I murmured. I so much wished she would open her eyes and tell me how much I had her hurt...Even now, I wanted to know what she was thinking! Would I know when she was a vampire?! For a moment my anguish disappated..._I might be able to hear Bella's thoughts when this was all over!_ Of course I didn't need to hear thoughts to know what Rosalie and Jacob were shouting as they started up again, their voices hushed threats because of Renesmee's presence in the room.

Carlisle stared toward the door, and then glanced at me, "_Do you want to handle this? I will stay with Bella and let you know if there's a change." _

"No, I'm staying right here. They'll sort it out."

"An interesting situation," Carlisle responded. "And I'd thought I'd seen just about everything."

"I'll deal with it later. _We'll _deal with it." I placed my hand into Bella's palm.

A crease formed on Carlisle's forehead as he listened to a particularly nasty epithet-expletive combination uttered from Rosalie. Carlisle took a deep breath and shook his head disapprovingly, "I'm sure between the five of us, we can keep it from turning into bloodshed."

I sighed. "I don't know which side to take. I'd love to flog them both. Well, later."

Vaguely wondering why Rosalie and Jacob were so relentless, a small debate started up in my head. I knew _exactly_ how Jacob _and_ Rosalie felt.

I could understand the powerful pull Jacob felt toward Renesmee, not just because I had experienced it through his thoughts, but because in its own way, that was what the smell of Bella's blood had done for me. I still owed Jacob for allowing me to save Bella, despite how he'd given up; he had still granted me permission. And it was because of that we were not being hunted by werewolves…Actually now we would probably never have to fear the pack again…

But it was _easier_ to side with Rosalie. To be angry about the twisted and uncontrollable feelings Jacob had for my daughter…_my infant daughter! _Plus, Rosalie was family—technically Jacob was now too—and that was where my allegiance _should_ lie.

_But which family was my obligation? The one bound by…venom? Or the one bound by blood?_ Was there a difference, really? Were we a blended family now? Was a coven joining a pack? Or was a pack joining a coven? Was there a name for such absurdity? _Did it matter?_

I realized, with sadness, that although I probably _could_ accept Jacob as an official member of my family _some_ day, I may actually _never_ have to, depending on how quickly Renesmee develops and her allotted lifespan…

"I wonder what Bella will think—whose side she'll take," Carlisle mused.

A low chuckle escaped me. "I'm sure she'll surprise me. She always does."

The shouting went up in volume and it sounded like Emmett was trying to restrain Rosalie. Carlisle gave me one quick parting glance before darting out of the office.

I tried to reassure myself that everything would be fine…And in most regards it was true…The change would be complete soon and Bella would _finally_ be immortal. That was one less thing to worry about. Having Jacob as a _son-in-law_ was…bizarre…but thanks to the truth in werewolf mythology and the strange magic in Quileute blood, the werewolves would no longer be a problem to my family…And I had a family...A real, live, flesh and blood family...

I had not been prepared to be Renesmee's father…I had not been prepared to be a daddy…Ever…But I was…Everything truly was landing smoothly into place…And I wasn't a monster, _anymore_…Maybe Bella was right, _maybe I never was_…

Perhaps, I was a rare breed of my own…_A Vampire Daddy!_

THE END

* * *

_**In a haze, a stormy haze  
I'll be round, I'll be loving you, always  
Always **_


End file.
